I could stop right there, since that's about as random as you can get, however...
I spend a lot of time looking at the current crop of GOP candidates and find myself asking how people got to be that stupid? Despite the fact that Herman Cain's 9-9-9 plan will raise taxes on 84% of Americans there are those who still support him? Michele Bachmann wants to close the Environmental Protection Agency when historically this nation has allowed corporate greed to damage the environment which lead to serious health issues suffered by those who lived in and around the brownfields the EPA has been cleaning up? Does she not know about Love Canal? Then there's Romney, who was fine with ideas that he had until they were adapted by the current president and then suddenly they're all wrong? I won't even get into the heartlessness of Ron Paul except to say that according to his ideas, our damaged returning veterans wouldn't be able to get healthcare they require due to what our wars did to them unless they could afford to pay for it.
While I am on that subject, who have we become that we believe people should die if they can't afford to pay for their care? I will never watch another CNN Tea Party debate due to listening to people cheer over the hypothetical death of a hypothetical young man who can't afford to pay to live.
"The rent is too damn high". Somehow or other we don't seem to get that when the top wage earners see an increase in their wealth of 285% in the last 10 years while the bottom of that spectrum only saw an 18% increase in the same time frame, the rent will always be too damn high. It should have occurred to someone by now that wealth is a finite amount and when most of it is given to a few, the many must make do with the rest. In order to give the top wage earners more of that pie, the other end has to give up their share. The pie itself is not going to miraculously grow larger to accommodate the increase.
When you stop to think about that, where do these Libertarians get the idea that they will be able to live on what's left over after the wealthy have taken their overly large share? Maybe they agree with Senator Sessions that the food stamp program is the problem? It's out of control with nearly 74% of Americans receiving food stamps. Hello????? That's a symptom of the problem, not the problem itself.
When you allow the very rich to become richer by stealing wages from the middle class, you have an increase in the poverty level. Once that level increases more people fall below it and then qualify for programs that we aren't funding correctly and haven't been for a decade. Look. We have been effectively returning ourselves to the turn of the 20th century when Rockefeller, Astor, Vanderbilt, Whitney, etc. held all the wealth. Back then families survived because every member of the family worked, including children as young as 8 years old. Yes, we will soon be returning to digging ditches because computers and robots will be doing all the gravy jobs. Which leaves way more of our money for the wealthy to conspicuously consume since digging ditches is a low paying back breaking job.
What really makes me angry about this entire situation has very little to do with Corporations taking advantage of the middle class, and more to do with the middle class not accepting responsibility for their own demise. We were given the tool by which we had, please notice I said HAD a say in our government. It's called voting rights. A tool which more than 50% of Americans chose not to use regularly. The total number of eligible voters that actually went to the polls in 2010 was a whopping 41%. The only time more voters actually get off their asses and away from their computers where they sit and whine about how bad America has become is when there's a Presidential election. Then the percentage increases to 74%. The number 1 reason why they don't go to the polls is that they are "too busy".
It's all well and good to go out on the streets and "Occupy Wall St" because the banks are robbing us blind. However, if this movement doesn't translate to an occupy the voting booth increase, nothing they're doing will change a damn thing. And it better happen pretty quickly or a large percentage of Americans will be losing their right to vote when the GOP/Tea Party gets done with their shenanigans.
Sherry:
ReplyDeleteAs long as corporations are choosing the candidates, very little will change. As it has been said many times, we have the best Congress money can buy.
Whit,
ReplyDeleteThe reason we have the best Congress money can buy is entirely because, for decades, too many people refused to honor their civic duty by voting. The number of eligible voters who actually go to the polls has been declining since the late 70's. Which is what has allowed the Republican Machine to build itself.
I was sincerely shocked to find that during midterms voter turnout has been as little as 24%. I'm talking registered voters here. And registered Republicans are more likely to get out and vote. Getting the picture?
The middle class has been too busy to vote and protect their own interests allowing corporations to do it for them.
.....middle class not accepting responsibility for their own demise.
ReplyDeleteI can add nothing to an already excellent post except to say "Guilty as charged, Ma'am."
Nothing will change until the 20-somethings take over, they are the ones in the OWS movement and I will hazard a guess they have learned a lot lately.
ReplyDeleteI worked and paid social security for thirty years, then I worked as a school teacher for sixteen years where I paid into a state retirement fund. Now because I draw a state teachers retirement my social security is reduced by 50% (they call it double dipping.)
ReplyDeleteLaws are stacked against the middle class while money is channeled to the wealthy.
I am disappointed that the 99% protesters don't specifically come out against Republican policies.
the Ol'Buzzard
Future,
ReplyDeleteWell then, get yourself registered and GET OUT AND VOTE! lol
Beach,
ReplyDeleteThe 20 somethings in the OWS movement have a lot more to learn before they're going to make a damn bit of difference. They're against ALL politicians and VOTING. Occupy Atlanta refused to hear words of encouragement from John Lewis because he's a politician. Arguably, along with MLK, one of the leaders of the Civil Rights Movement of the 60's and they turned him away?
As far as I know, the only occupy that allowed Dem canvassers to register people to vote was Cincinnati. This doesn't bode well for America.
We sit online and holler "Term Limits" and we've always had that option. It's called getting off our asses and to the polls in EVERY election cycle.
OlBuzzard,
ReplyDeleteOne of my elderly clients worked for the Post Office back in the day. She makes twice what my other clients make and she only draws $200 from SS. I'm aware of the Double dipping thing and even know which President's administration made the changes. It almost makes sense until you look at the number of private sector retirees who can draw from their employees pensions and get full SS benefits.
People who are putting their hopes in OWS changing anything need to take a look at the lack of interest they have in any type of political activity. They don't get the connection between making the right changes in Congress and getting Wall Street greed controlled.
Sherry,
ReplyDeleteExcellent post and comments. Agree, agree, agree.
Cheers
Fringe,
ReplyDeleteI should have been a political blogger. I don't need to fully understand politics to put my basic commonsense to work on an issue. LOL
My basic commonsense tells me that if we take a look at the damage the Tea Party did, and how they got elected, we should be able to apply the same principles to making the right kind of changes. It takes more than computers and blogs and chat rooms, it has to happen in the voting booth.